Saturday, October 23, 2010

Satinder Sartaj is today’s one of the most renowned punjabi sufi singer. His songs have an element of reality and a heavenly essence. Among all he has sung so far, this song is the closest to my heart.

meri heeriye faqeeriye ni sohniye,

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye...

[ Here sartaj refers his beloved as beautiful heer, he calls himself a 'fakeer', a poor wanderer who has escaped the possessions of mortal world and he calls her as his only possession in the whole world. Her fragrance is intoxicating to him. ]

ho yaad aave teri dekha jado chand main

tu hi dise jado akhaan kara band main

[Whenever I look at the moon I get surrounded by your memories. Whenever I close my eyes, I see you]

mainu lage radha tu te lal nand main

kash tanu v hovan eda pasand main -X2

[ I portray you and me as the eternal pair of Radha and Krishna (of hindu mythology), I wish you will feel the same way for me. ]

kato neend cho jagaya ne paroniye

teri kusboo nashili man mohniye..

[ paroniye means begani (stranger), these words convey that she has left him. Now that she is a stranger for him, he is asking her why has she awaken him up from his dreams (where they were both together and shared an eternal bond). Your fragrance is intoxicating to me. ]

meri heeriye faqeeriye ne sohniye...

teri kusboo nashili man mohniye...

dekh gal teri karde ne taare v

naale mare walan karde ishare v

[ Even the stars are talking about you, and while doing so they are pointing towards me ]

ehi yaar mere ehi ne sahare v

par change tere lagde ne laare v -X2

[ Now (when you are not here with me anymore) these stars are my only companions and support, but I still like your false promises (of being together forever) ]

sanu raahan ch na roll lare laouniye

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye...

[ Without you I am homeless, wandering here and there with nowhere to go. Your fragrance is intoxicating to me. ]

meri heeriye faqeeriye ne sohniye...

teri kusboo nashili man mohniye...

keha payia ye pyar wala jaal ni

jithe javaan teri yaad jandi naal ni

[ I am trapped in this mesh of love, where ever I go your memories are always with me ]

eh tan rog main avalla leya paal ni

sham pende hi dinda e dive baal ni

[ It is a strange disease that I have been nurturing, as soon as light of your memories fades away my heart glows another lamp in your name ]

[ I am asking the birds to say something, to reveal to me the secret of whereabouts of my heer ]

tusi jao sachi jao ohnu tolo ni

ja ke phullan wala jungle farolo ni -X2

[ Please go, for once just go and search for her. Look for her in the forest of flowers. The term forest of flowers is quiet impressing. The forest is full of sweet fragrances and this is why he thinks that it is the perfect place for her to hide as no one will be able to distinguish her fragrance from rest of flowers. ]

oh gulab diyan pattiyan ch honi e..

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye..

[ She would be hiding under the petals of rose. Your fragrance is intoxicating to me.

Another great line! He thinks may be the fragrance of rose is due to his heer hiding inside its petals. ]

meri heeriye faqeeriye ne sohniye...

teri kushboo nashili manmohniye...

pehlan polle jehae chain tu chura liya

fer neend nu khwaban de naame la liya

[ Quietly you left my heart restless, and then it was all you in my dreams ]

sada duniya to sath v chhuda liya

fer jhaka jeha de ke muh ghuma liya -X2

[ When I got deeply involved in you it left me detached from the whole world, you inspired me to express my love but then you turned away ]

kiven pune jazbaat sade poniye..

kida pune jazbaat ne tu poniye..

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye..

[ How did you change your emotions about me, what made your heart change so abruptly. Your fragrance is intoxicating to me. ]

Sartaj in the whole song refers himself to be ‘fakeer’ as he has nothing with him except for the memories of his beloved. Now that she is gone, he recalls the sweet fragrance of her that has taken over his heart. Which is given in the phrase “Teri khushbu nashili man mohniye”. It’s when she is gone he is drunk by the effect of her fragrance. Her fragrance is the only memory that he holds with himself, which keeps reminding him of his beloved.

My personal favourites are the parts where he talks to Birds about his heer, and another when he urges her not to listen to his worthless songs and accept his love and assures her that God will support their love.

(The fire started by my murshid (Murshid is a Sufi guide/teacher)still smolders and smoke arises

whenever I search

its red hot)

Jungle belle phiran dhondendi
Ajay na payo lal ni

(I roam jungles and plains searching Still I have not found my gem)

Dukhan di roti, solan da salan
Aahen da balan baal ni

(I prepare bread of sorrow, dish of painlighting the firewood of sighs)

Kahay hussain faqeer nimana
Shoh milay tan thewan nihal ni

(O Mother who should I tell

my tale of pain and separation?)

Says Hussain, The poor beggar:-
"If I find my master, I will be prosperous"

(Mai ni main kinon akhanDard vichoray da haal ni)

Mai ni me kinoo aakhaan is a poem written by Shah Hussain. It has many versions, and I can track back each one of them through this version that inspired me to find more about the song, my next post will be on the other versions.

The song is written by Kaifi Azmi. Originally, he wrote the song for the film Kaagaz ke Phool (1959) and it was sung by Geeta Dutt, then by Lata Mangeshkar and eventually by Jagjit Singh. Although some people believe that Jagjit was not able to do justice to the original song but this ghazal is still close to my heart. You can judge it by yourself, as we have here both the versions of the song :). But, no matter how good and marvelous the singer is, the song or ghazal can never touch your soul unless you feel it. That is only possible through the medium of lyrics, and I should warn you after finding them out you'll be addicted to it. Kaifi Azmi is still remembered when people listen to these beautiful words...

The song focuses on the changing times and how we are affected by it, and how this cycle can alter and cloud our judgement. It will become more clear to you as the song progresses. The words are simple enough but I'll still commentate them so that you don't miss anything.

Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam
Tum Rahe Na Tum Ham Rahe Na Hum (x2)

What beautiful words !!! The word 'sitam' means torture or punishment, and the English word 'oppression' gets closest to its meaning. But the adjective used to describe it is 'Haseen'. Haseen means handsome/beautiful. The reason why such punishment is praised because the singer has accepted the fate, which is the changing times in which we all live. Now both of us are different from what we used to be. You are not the same person and I have also changed !!

Waqt Ne Kiya....

Beqaraar Dil Is Tarah Mile
Jaise Kabhi Hum Juda Na The (x2)

We may be far off now, but still my impatient heart has the same old feeling whenever we meet, and it feels like we never parted.

Tum Bhi Kho Gaye, Ham Bhi Kho Gaye
Ek Raah Par Chalke Do Qadam

Now both of us are lost, after walking only a few steps on the same path.

Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam
Tum Rahe Na Tum Ham Rahe Na Ham

Waqt Ne Kiya...

Jaayenge Kahan Sujhta Nahi
Chal Pade Magar Raasta Nahi (x2)

The destination is not clear and it's now become difficult to decide, as we don't know where to go? But still we have started walking albeit there is no path

Kya Talaash Hai Kuchh Pata Nahi
Bun Rahe Hain Din Khaab Dam-ba-dam

What are we searching for? We don't know, and now we are slowly making (knitting - the correct translation of the word 'Bun') our days with dreams in every breath we breathe. I interpret this line as if the singer is day-dreaming about the destination.

Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam
Tum Rahe Na Tum Ham Rahe Na Ham

The last two stanza are my favourite. The reason being that after both have parted they decide to move on, even though they are still unsure where the path will lead to. One thing, that I will like to stress upon is that the translation and interpretation of the song is my own, and it can vary depending on the person. So, if you feel I have done injustice in carrying out my task, please forgive me. I'll try my best so that the meaning reaches you.

As the word 'Rohi' means desert, the theme of the song is, of course, the pain of separation that the girl goes through, for her beloved lives in a desert, far away from her, far away from her place, her motherland, her 'watan'..

oo jindari luti te yaar sajan
kadi mod muhaara te aa watan - X 3 '

Jindari luti..She feels that her life has no meaning and she has no existence without him..She feels all her happiness is ruined in his absence..She feels she cannot live without him..She sings for him, for her sajan (beloved)..She wants him to come back to her watan, his watan, their watan.. She wants them to be together again..

She has never been to 'rohi', the desert.. but she thinks about the place all the time..Rohi,in spite of being full of nothing else but sand and thorns, seems to be absolutely beautiful to her.. Rohi seems to have that 'bahaar', the scenic beauty, the peace, the joy, the calmness,because its in that desert that her beloved lives...
She feels that there must be many lovers living in the desert, there must be many lovers all over the world,living together happily.. She feels unlucky for the fact that they cannot be together.. "ik main numaniduja be watan"

She wants him to come back, desperately waiting for him, she calls him back, she wants to see him, to feel him.. Her life, her happiness, everything about her is incomplete and meaningless without him.. She has those tears of pain in her eyes.. She cannot see anything other than the rohi and her beloved.. She imagines, n she wishes him to come back, to wipe off her tears, to make her smile..She simply wants to be with him, to feel his presence, to be in his arms, to forget everything else and to be lost in his love..

The thorns and weeds of the desert seem to give that pain, that sadness to her.. On one hand, she sees the 'bahaar', because he lives there, but on the other hand, she detests everything related to the desert, for it reminds her of the pain of separation, for it makes her cry every day and every night.. She spends sleepless nights, thinking about the desert, thinking about him, crying for him.. She wants to get rid of these tears, she wants him to come back to her, to their place, their 'watan'

Its an amazing song, with Shahida's beautiful voice and absolutely great lyrics..Some songs tell us how some lives simply revolve around a simple 4 letter word called love..When they are together, the whole world seems beautiful to them, they are in love with their lives.. but if, unfortunately, they are separated, everything becomes hopelessly meaningless...This song describes the same.. My favorite lines are "teri rohi di ajabbahaar dise, jithe main numani da yaar base" .. Absolutely beautiful !! Sometimes, all you need in life is, someone to be with you !!

[ Ranjha has given me the light (sight) through which I can see my path clearly even with my eyes closed (there is no doubt in her mind and is clear about her decisions). Ranjha is my religion, my life, he means the whole world to me. ]
Na Bhej Na Maaye Mujhko, Mein Nahi Jaana Nahi Jaana,
Nahi Jaana Mein Nahi Jaana, Mein Nahi Jaaanaaa,

Khereyan refers to Heer's in-laws. Heer was married off to Saida Khera of village Rangpur Khera﻿ after her parents found out about her affair with Ranjha. Song is about Heer telling her mother﻿ she doesn't want to get married instead stay back after getting married. But her parents force her to get married.

With the pain of separation Ranjha becomes a jogi and Heer calls herself 'Dheedo Ranjha'. As she says Ranjha Ranjha all the time, she believes she herself has become Ranjha.

Later she sends ranjha who becomes a jogi a message, and they elope. Soon her parents agree to marry her to Dheedo Ranjha. But her uncle Khaidon betrays them and poisons heer. Ranjha too eats the same poison and ends his life.

Heer and Ranjha are buried in Heer's hometown, Jhang. Lovers and others often pay visits to their mausoleum.

This song sung by shafqat portrays the pain heer has as she doesn't want to leave ranjha. She tells her parents that her love is Ranjha who lives here and doesn't want to go to another village to marry another guy.

Beautiful song, amazing lyrics. But somehow it's video is not at all good which portrays I don't know what a modern Heer?seriously Ustaad Shafqat needs to find another guy to choreograph his videos. Here they are showing a girl who is getting drunk, going clubs and then committing suicide. Makes no sense.

Still forget the video, enjoy the soft voice + rock music combination. You will love it :D

Paimana Bitte is one of the most beautiful song that describes a lover's state who want to lose his conscious and remain drunk in the love of his beloved.
The lover is lost when his beloved is not with him/her. He want him to return and see how painful state he is in. That he wants another glass of an intoxicant to numb his pain.
The song is about feelings and it does that beautifully, one can find himself getting sedated with this song, as it touches the core of the heart with it's beautiful lyrics.

So turn the volume up, close your eyes and forget everything around when you listen to this song.

The song is sung in 2 parts, each part in a different language.
First part is in Farsi while Second part is in Pushto

The first part of the song(before alaps) are straight from the original version. The Coke studio band makes it a bit different, rather improves it. The difference comes after the Alaap by Riaz Ali khan. Alaaps are beautifully done, but the best is yet to come. The next is a poem taken from Amir Khusro "Man Kunto Maula"

"Whoever accepts me as a master, Ali is his master too." (The above is a hadith - a saying of the Prophet Mohammad (PBH). Rest of the lines are tarana bols that are generally meaningless and are used for rhythmic chanting by Sufis.)

Meaning: "Make up and all are lying unused by The girl who is just separated from her love" Translating to english sometimes kills the real beauty of the song. Kilyaan means: "Nail, hanger where you hang your clothes and other items" Parandey: "It's an extension of ponytail worn by mostly Punjabi women"

Tangey Renday comes from the Lollywood movie "Faraib" Also sung by Gurdas maan in song Parande Both having different lyrics but the same quote "Tangey rehnde", Out of the two I'm not sure which one is the original. I leave that to you, may be original is neither of the two.

Somehow Atif's version Sounds better than the above two. He has sung it really well. The end is from a beautiful ghazal by Artist:Abida Parveen Album:Raqs-e-Bismil Song:Zahid ne Listen HereAudio Download

MeaningThe pious has not seen the strength of my faith, since he was not the one who saw your hair spread on your face, (meaning he has not seen your pain, which I have seen). Implying if he saw what I saw, he would've lost all control. I didn't lose my control, hence proving the strength of my faith.

Here, the converse is true, Atif is no match for Abida Parveen. Her deep voice penetrates through the heart to tickle the deepest of the emotions of love. One can find himself totally mesmerized by the Marvelous lyrics.